The Royal Armouries was awarded £429,600 from the Heritage Fund in 2021. For the last two years the museum has been working with digital volunteers to help transform how it engages with audiences using the power of digital.
The initial phase of its new website is one of the first outputs of this work, with specialist digital agency Numiko, based in Leeds, as the partners on the project. The new website boasts user-friendly navigation and highlights the unique Royal Armouries’ collection and how arms and armour are among the products of human endeavour which have had the greatest impact on the history of the world.
The first specially created online exhibition Up Close harnesses the capacity of digital to provide a different perspective on 26 items from the collection. With newly commissioned detailed photography and the ability to zoom in on the minutia, audiences visiting the online exhibition will be able to go far beyond what they can see with the naked eye.
The website and online exhibition provide a strong foundation to build from and have been made possible thanks to money raised by National Lottery players through funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The project continues at pace and next steps will involve the Royal Armouries reaching out to audiences to gather further feedback and ensure they are engaging with a wide and diverse range of people to ensure the success of the project.
Florence Symington, Director of Brand & Audiences said:
‘Arms and armour are among the products of human endeavour which have had the greatest impact on the history of the world. With funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, we are harnessing the power of digital to launch the first stage of our new website. This is essential to increase engagement with our world class collection and bring it to a broader audience. Numiko have been instrumental in developing a site that showcases our vast collection and makes it easy to explore for visitors. It is thanks to National Lottery players that we’ve been able to launch our new website and hope that our virtual and physical visitors are inspired to find out more.’
Helen Featherstone, Director, England, North at The National Lottery Heritage Fund said:
“It is fantastic to see this element of the Royal Armouries’ Digital Vision for the Future project revealed. Thanks to money raised by National Lottery players, more people will be able to access the museum’s national collection online and learn about the fascinating and diverse heritage of arms and armour across the world.”